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Natural Iphone Speaker Charging Dock (from 2x4)

Introduction: Natural Iphone Speaker Charging Dock (from 2x4)

In this Instructable I use a 8" length of scrap 2x4" to create a Natural Speaker Charging dock combo. I had seen similar designs but none of them had a charger incorporated into it. I used Drill Bits and a chisel to create this but a CNC machine or a router would probably work better. I made a couple mistakes along the way and I will try to explain how I fixed them and also how to avoid them.

Thanks For Looking!

Step 1: Getting the Shape

I Started by cutting an 8" length of 2x4 that had a little bit of live edge on one corner. Then I made an angled cut to create the bottom, this was my first mistake. I should have cut the 2x4 in half first, then cut the angled bottom. Because I Didn't, I had to hand saw it in two then plane both pieces to get nice flat surfaces.

Step 2: Creating the Dock

Now that I have two halves I'm going to create the dock on the faceplate. I started by tracing my phone and marking were the ports are. I considered an AUX but I figured it was overkill with the natural speakers. Next I used a chisel to carve out the space. In order to create the channel for the charger I started by drilling 2 holes, the width of the charger, then chiseling out the material in between. I then chiseled an access from the back, working it until the cable fit snug. I repeated this process to create the audio channel as well.

Step 3: Audio Channel and Speakers

I traced onto the back where the holes from the faceplate line up then evenly spaced a speaker hole onto each side. I used a Forstner bit set to drill the initial holes then chiseled a groove to connect them.

Next is to Drill the holes in the faceplate, this is where I made the biggest mistake. I measured from the wrong edge then drilled through the faceplate. This meant my speaker holes didn't line up. To correct this, I traced the overlap, then chiseled out the bottom circles to match the face. In the last Photo you can see on the bottom piece the speaker holes are ovals now.

Not a critical error, but the speaker holes look a little low on the faceplate.

Step 4: Assembly

Unfortunately when the phone is in the dock it's too top heavy. So I cut two little feet from the same 2x4 scrap.

The charging cable should be snug but it doesn't have to sit perfectly. I used a clamp to hold the charger in place with only the metal exposed, Then filled the void with woodglue. Most will drip out but enough dried to hold it in place and create a seal. Filled it up once more and the charger is locked in.

Spread a thin layer of glue onto the back piece, then clamp the two pieces together overnight. chase any drips with a moist towel. Once dry, I glued the little feet on.

At this point you have a completed speaker/charging dock. I sanded using 120 grit and finished with 320 grit.

Step 5: Finishing Up

I wanted to try a more traditional finish so I went with Danish Oil and Finishing Wax. I started off with two coats of the medium walnut danish oil but I was not happy with how light it was. I soaked as many coats as it would absorb and got it much closer to what I wanted. I still don't know if I want it to be shiny or just have a nice sheen so I only did a couple coats of Finishing Wax.

I hope that you enjoyed this Instructable and can learn from the mistakes I made along the way. Any questions, comments, or critiques welcome!

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Questions

6 Comments

I love the simplicity of your design . The only thing I would change would be shape of the groves, instead of doing them straight to the speaker holes, I would make them like a trumpet,small at the phone to as big as the speaker holes . That will give you higher volume

I like the idea behind this but I was confused all the way through. I've never had a phone with a speaker on the bottom. All have been on the back with a microphone on the bottom. But I can adapt the idea to my phone. Thanks for a great, simple project.